Return-Path: Sender: To: SPARC-IR Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:01:31 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from [76.106.15.125] (HELO [192.168.2.3]) by arl.org (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.12) with ESMTPS id 17243004; Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:00:18 -0400 X-Original-Message-Id: From: Stacie Lemick X-Original-To: ata-members@arl.org, ata-media@arl.org, sparc-opendata@arl.org, Open Access Working Group , sparc-steer@arl.org, sparc-oaforum@arl.org, sparc-ir@arl.org, sparc-media@arl.org, sparc-advocacy@arl.org Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=Apple-Mail-5-868359811 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v930.3) Subject: First U.S. Public Access Policy Made Permanent X-Original-Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:59:57 -0400 X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.930.3) --Apple-Mail-5-868359811 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable For immediate release March 12, 2009 Contact: Jennifer McLennan jennifer [at] arl [dot] org (202) 296-2296 ext. 121 FIRST U.S. PUBLIC ACCESS POLICY MADE PERMANENT 2009 Consolidated Appropriations Act ensures NIH public access policy =20= will persist Washington, D.C. =96 March 12, 2009 =96 President Obama yesterday signed = =20 into law the 2009 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes a =20 provision making the National Institutes=92 of Health (NIH) Public =20 Access Policy permanent. The NIH Revised Policy on Enhancing Public =20 Access requires eligible NIH-funded researchers to deposit electronic =20= copies of their peer-reviewed manuscripts into the National Library of =20= Medicine=92s online archive, PubMed Central (PMC). Full texts of the =20 articles are made publicly available and searchable online in PMC no =20 later than 12 months after publication in a journal. The NIH policy was previously implemented with a provision that was =20 subject to annual renewal. Since the implementation of the revised =20 policy the percentage of eligible manuscripts deposited into PMC has =20 increased significantly, with over 3,000 new manuscripts being =20 deposited each month. The PubMed Central database is a part of a =20 valuable set of public database resources at the NIH, which are =20 accessed by more than 2 million users each day. The new provision reads in full: The Director of the National Institutes of Health shall require in the =20= current fiscal year and thereafter that all investigators funded by =20 the NIH submit or have submitted for them to the National Library of =20 Medicine's PubMed Central an electronic version of their final, peer-=20 reviewed manuscripts upon acceptance for publication to be made =20 publicly available no later than 12 months after the official date of =20= publication: Provided, That the NIH shall implement the public access =20= policy in a manner consistent with copyright law. =93This is a significant moment for all of us in the health community, = =20 and for efforts in health reform. With free access to health =20 research, individuals are empowered with the knowledge necessary to =20 understand the health threats they and their families face,=94 said =20 Sharon Terry, President and CEO of Genetic Alliance. =93Congress =20 recognizes the incredible power of technology and innovation in =20 enabling new solutions for the proactive management of health, =20 consumer-driven healthcare, and novel partnerships and collaborations =20= in research. Congratulations to us all.=94 The NIH Public Access Policy addresses the public=92s growing need for =20= high-quality health information and promotes accelerated scientific =20 advancement in the biomedical sciences. "Public access to publicly funded research contributes directly to the =20= mission of higher education,=94 said David Shulenburger, Vice President =20= for Academic Affairs at NASULGC (the National Association of State =20 Universities and Land-Grant Colleges). =93Improved access will enable =20= universities to maximize their own investment in research, and widen =20 the potential for discovery as the results are more readily available =20= for others to build upon.=94 Heather Joseph, spokesperson for the Alliance for Taxpayer Access =20 noted, =93Thanks to the work of a wide coalition of patients, libraries, = =20 researchers, publishers, students, and taxpayers, the results of NIH-=20 funded research can be accessed =96 and used - in ways never before =20 possible. The successful implementation of this policy will unlock the =20= potential of this research to benefit the public as a whole. =94 For more information, and a timeline detailing the evolution of the =20 NIH Public Access Policy beginning May 2004, visit the ATA Web site at = http://www.taxpayeraccess.org=20 . ### The Alliance for Taxpayer Access is a coalition of patient, academic, =20= research, and publishing organizations that supports open public =20 access to the results of federally funded research. The Alliance was =20 formed in 2004 to urge that peer-reviewed articles stemming from =20 taxpayer-funded research become fully accessible and available online =20= at no extra cost to the American public. Details on the ATA may be =20 found at http://www.taxpayeraccess.org. =20= --Apple-Mail-5-868359811 Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

For immediate release
March 12, 2009

Contact:
Jennifer McLennan
jennifer [at] arl [dot] org
(202) 296-2296 ext. 121

 first u.s. public access = policy made permanent

2009 = Consolidated Appropriations Act ensures NIH public access policy will = persist

Washington, D.C. =96 March 12, 2009 =96 = President Obama yesterday signed into law the 2009 Consolidated Appropriations = Act, which includes a provision making the National Institutes=92 of Health (NIH) = Public Access Policy permanent.  The NIH = Revised Policy on Enhancing = Public Access requires eligible NIH-funded researchers to deposit electronic copies of = their peer-reviewed manuscripts into the National Library of Medicine=92s = online archive, PubMed Central (PMC). Full texts of the articles are made = publicly available and searchable online in PMC no later than 12 months after publication in a journal.

The NIH policy was previously implemented = with a provision that was subject to annual renewal. Since the implementation = of the revised policy the percentage of eligible manuscripts deposited into = PMC has increased significantly, with over 3,000 new manuscripts being = deposited each month. The PubMed Central database is a part of a valuable set of public database resources at the NIH, which are accessed by more than 2 million = users each day. 

The new provision reads in = full:

The Director of = the National Institutes of Health shall require in the current fiscal year and thereafter that all investigators funded = by the NIH submit or have submitted for them to the National Library of = Medicine's PubMed Central an electronic version of their final, peer-reviewed = manuscripts upon acceptance for publication to be made publicly available no later = than 12 months after the official date of publication: Provided, That the NIH shall implement the public access = policy in a manner consistent with copyright law.

 =93This is a significant moment = for all of us in the health community, and for efforts in health reform.  With = free access to health research, individuals are empowered with the knowledge necessary to understand the health threats they and their families = face,=94 said Sharon Terry, President and CEO of Genetic Alliance. =   =93Congress recognizes the incredible power of technology and innovation in enabling = new solutions for the proactive management of health, consumer-driven = healthcare, and novel partnerships and collaborations in research. =  Congratulations to us all.=94

The NIH Public Access Policy addresses = the public=92s growing need for high-quality health information and promotes accelerated scientific advancement in the biomedical = sciences.

"Public access to publicly funded research contributes directly to the mission of higher education,=94 said David Shulenburger, Vice President for Academic = Affairs at NASULGC (the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges). =93Improved access will enable universities to maximize their = own investment in research, and widen the potential for discovery as the = results are more readily available for others to build upon.=94

Heather Joseph, = spokesperson for the Alliance for Taxpayer Access noted, =93Thanks to the work of a wide = coalition of patients, libraries, researchers, publishers, students, and = taxpayers, the results of NIH-funded research can be accessed =96 and used  - in ways never before = possible. The successful implementation of this policy will unlock the potential of = this research to benefit the public as a whole. =94

For more information, and a timeline = detailing the evolution of the NIH Public Access Policy beginning May 2004, visit = the ATA Web site at http://www.taxpayeraccess.org.<= /span>

 

###

 

The Alliance for Taxpayer Access is a = coalition of patient, academic, research, and publishing organizations that = supports open public access to the results of federally funded research. The Alliance = was formed in 2004 to urge that peer-reviewed articles stemming from taxpayer-funded research become fully accessible and available online at = no extra cost to the American public. Details on the ATA may be found at http://www.taxpayeraccess.org.<= span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> 

 

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